What does this study entail?
Land and shelter remain unmet basic needs for many, with growing global land inequality fuelling housing disparities and limited access to services. Unequal land access underlies pressing societal issues, including housing injustice. The challenge of adequate housing persists globally, as vulnerable groups face displacement and limited infrastructure, while non-profitable land uses like affordable housing are marginalized. This exclusivity affects global urban access to land, housing, and services due to ongoing commodification. Addressing both housing and land justice aligns with shared societal goals outlined in the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, the master track will focus on understanding, applying, and evaluating how the right to land, housing and urban services can be achieved.
Why study at Erasmus University Rotterdam
Earn your MSc degree from a top 100 university in Rotterdam
Erasmus University Rotterdam, consistently ranking in the top 3% globally, is celebrated for academic excellence, while Rotterdam is known for iconic architecture, pioneering urban planning, and multicultural vibrancy.You apply everything you learn
Students engage in a diverse learning experience through lectures, case studies, debates, simulations, assignments, and field visits in Rotterdam and other Dutch cities, with the option for thesis fieldwork abroad.Our teaching methods are unique
IHS faculty members engage in real-world cases globally, integrating challenges, learnings, and questions from these experiences into our curriculum.We offer a truly international and diverse environment
The IHS classroom comprises mid-level professionals and fresh graduates with rich and varied experiences from more than 45 countries.
I really enjoyed the interactive pedagogical simulations, including a community action planning workshop based on real-life cases
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What are some of the special features of this track?
Next to earning your MSc diploma from Erasmus University Rotterdam, an institution that is consistently ranked among the top 3% of the world’s best universities, studying the Urban Housing & Land Justice track also means that you will get to:
Learn from an international team of housing and land specialists
The team teaching in this track consists of highly experienced international housing and land experts who are also actively involved in ongoing real-life projects.
Get access to a toolkit to assess adequate housing & housing justice
Staff in this track developed a framework called the ‘5A’s, which serves as a toolkit to assess adequate housing and housing justice in practice. The principles of the concept are Availability, Accessibility, Affordability, Acceptability and Adaptability of housing.
Conduct your thesis research in a new cultural context abroad
Students in this track have the possibility to conduct their master thesis fieldwork in specific contexts around the world. The specialisation team builds on deep-rooted collaborations with highly ranked universities and local and international NGOs and CBOs in various countries.
Apply your learnings in a simulated environment
Students will work on an advisory housing and land justice assignment for a local government in the Global South. To address sustainability issues, students will evaluate and propose equitable land management and governance strategies as well as adequate housing (policy and strategic) interventions under the 5 A's principles to achieve social-spatial and environmental justice.
Benefit from our network of high-profile guest lectures
Students enjoy lectures from various organisations such as UN-Habitat, the Centre for Affordable Housing in Africa, the Asian Coalition of Housing Rights and the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of TU-Delft. These sessions are also a great networking opportunity.
#4 for Public Administration
worldwide for Public Administration Shanghai Ranking
#13 for Development Studies
worldwide for Development Studies QS World University Ranking
#99 Worldwide
worldwide Times Higher Education (500)
